Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Language

English

Publication Date

7-1-2025

Journal

The International Journal of Stroke

DOI

10.1177/17474930251317883

PMID

39873268

PMCID

PMC12182599

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

1-28-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) from distal medium vessel occlusion (DMVO) presents unique treatment challenges. Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is emerging as a viable option for these patients, yet the role of pre-stroke aspirin treatment is unclear. This study evaluates the impact of pre-stroke low-dose aspirin on outcomes in DMVO patients undergoing MT.

Methods: We conducted a multinational, multicenter, propensity score-weighted analysis within the Multicenter Analysis of primary Distal medium vessel occlusions: effect of Mechanical Thrombectomy (MAD-MT) registry. Patients with AIS due to DMVO, treated with MT, were included. We compared outcomes between patients on pre-stroke low-dose aspirin (75-100 mg) and those not on antiplatelet therapy. The primary outcome was functional independence at 90 days (modified Rankin Scale (mRS), 0-2). Secondary outcomes included excellent functional outcome at 90 days (mRS, 0-1), mortality, and day 1 post-MT National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. Safety outcomes focused on hemorrhagic complications, including symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH).

Results: Among 1354 patients, 150 were on pre-stroke low-dose aspirin. After applying inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), aspirin use was associated with significantly better functional outcomes (mRS, 0-2: odds ratio (OR) = 1.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14 to 3.12) and lower 90-day mortality (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.32 to 1.00). The aspirin group had lower NIHSS scores on day 1 (β = -1.5, 95% CI = -2.8 to -0.27). The sICH rate was not significantly different between the groups (OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.60 to 1.43).

Conclusions: Pre-stroke low-dose aspirin was associated with improved functional outcomes and reduced mortality in patients with DMVO undergoing MT, without a significant increase in sICH. These findings suggest that low-dose aspirin may be safe and associated with more frequent excellent outcomes for this patient population. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these results and assess long-term outcomes.

Keywords

Humans, Aspirin, Male, Female, Aged, Ischemic Stroke, Treatment Outcome, Middle Aged, Thrombectomy, Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors, Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery, Registries, Aged, 80 and over, Acute ischemic stroke, distal medium vessel occlusions, mechanical thrombectomy

Published Open-Access

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